Good Golly My Little Lolly (Shikamaru Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lolly's Pov

   I looked at Masamune as my vision blurred in and out. I felt my breathing hitch in my chest and I knew that I wouldn't last long. However I didn't need to last long, I just needed to out last Masamune. I looked at him and our gazes met. 
   He smiled at me and I saw understanding flash in his eyes. I saw the pain and the suffering as well but above all I could see that he understood that I wanted this that badly. "Y-you... you've earned... th-this... more than I... have..." He said.  
   I watched him carefully as a new stream of blood fell from my ear. Was he planning to do what I thought he was going to do? All at once I felt that familiar shredding feeling inside of me and I knew that this was it. I was at my limit. 
   Either he would fall down now or I would give out. I could tell that there was no way that I could even move now. It all came down to this moment...

Shikamru's Pov 

   Shikamaru watched with wide eyes. He had never seen Lolly fight like that before. He was amazed that she hadn't been picked for the exams last year! He saw how spent she was and felt his proctective feelings well up inside of himself. 
   He wanted nothing more than to go over there and wrap her up in a hug and never let her go. He wanted to just hold her and tell her everything would be alright. Above all else though he wanted to kill that Masamune kid for doing this to her. 
   He wanted to utterly destroy the boy's existence and make him suffer for hurting Lolly as bad as she was. Shikamaru knew that he couldn't of course. He knew that because he was older and a Chunnin he was to act poised and dignified. Despite what he felt inside. 
   He sighed and then realized that this was going nowhere just sitting there watching them. He had decided that this match was a draw. He hated doing this to Lolly because of how hard she had fought but he had no choice. Neither could continue and neither would fall. 

He cleared his throat to begin speaking.

Jinga's Pov 

   I watched in amazement as the two of them just stood there. "That girl is a fool." Shion finally said. I whipped around to face her. "Don't you dare say that! Lolly just gave her all for this fight! I won't have you bad mouthing her!" I snapped at the woman. I didn't care who she was, she wasn't about to go saying that about Lolly.  
   Shion smiled sadly, "You need to understand what happens now little one. Now because neither can continue and neither will fall, Shikamaru will have no choice but to bring this to a draw. Everything that we worked for, she worked for, will have been for nothing." Shion said. 
   I clenched my hand into a fist. There was no way. There was just no way that this was happening. I turned back to Lolly and looked at her as she kept her gaze on Masamune. "Lolly! Don't give in! You have to move! You have to fight him!" I screamed. 
   Still either she was ignoring me or she was too out of it to hear me. 'Lolly...' I shut my eyes and turned my head away. She worked harder than anyone to be here it just wasn't fair that she was going to lose right at the finish line.

   "Hey, come on Lolly, training's over." I said to her. Lolly of course wasn't giving up that easy, I could see it in her eyes. She shook her head, "Nah, you go on ahead. I'll go home after a bit more practice." She said as she smiled at me. 
   I sighed and then sat down to watch her. "What are you doing?" She asked. "I'm staying here to wait for you to finish." I said. She smiled at me again and I frowned. "One of these days you're going to grow old watching me."

"One of these days I'll get you to smile for real." 

   Lolly's eyes opened wide at my words and I looked at her without my joking manner. Ever since we had been put on the same team I had never seen her smile for real. Her fake smile was very convincing to everyone but I knew. 
   The only reason I knew was because I did the same thing when I was mad or sad. She frowned at me and then went back to her training.